(1) Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for automatically packaging electronic parts on a printed circuit board and, more particularly, to an automatic electronic part packaging apparatus capable of automatically placing and replacing a part supply unit holding the electronic parts in a packaging portion with respect to the printed circuit board.
(2) Related Art Statement
The packaging of the electronic parts on a printed circuit board (PCB) involves the use of a plurality of part supply units for holding electronic parts. The electronic parts are picked up from this part supply unit and mounted in predetermined locations of the PCB. For this purpose, the electronic part automatic packaging apparatus incorporates a function to automatically replace the part supply unit.
FIG. 6 illustrates a conventional electronic part automatic packaging apparatus equipped with the part supply units that is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.61-121398. This packaging apparatus is equipped with: a packaging portion 110 supplied with PCBs 100; a housing portion 130 for housing a plurality of part supply units 120; and a transfer portion 140 for transferring the part supply unit 120 to the packaging portion from the housing portion 130. The packaging portion 110 includes a packaging device 111 for packaging the electronic parts on the PCB 100 while moving in directions X and Y; and a mounting board 112, reciprocating in the x direction, on which the plurality of part supply units 120 are arranged. The PCBs 100 are sequentially fed to the packaging device 111 in the direction X. The packaging device picks up necessary electronic parts out of the part supply unit 120 on the mounting board 112 and packages them in predetermined locations of the PCB 100. The transfer portion 140 transfers the part supply units 120 stocked in the housing portion 130 onto the mounting board 112 and thereafter mounts these units on the mounting board 112.
The operations of the respective portions in this packaging apparatus are controlled by an unillustrated centralized control device. The number of parts of each of the part supply units 120 is inputted to the centralized control device. At the same time, the centralized control device is provided with a counter for counting the number of electronic parts every time the packaging device 111 packages the electronic part. The centralized control device further includes a notifying means (not shown) for giving an advance notice when the residual quantity after being counted by this counter reaches a set value.
Next, the operation of this electronic part automatic packaging apparatus will be explained. In the course of packaging the electronic parts on the PCB 100, the counter of the centralized control device counts the residual quantity of the parts of the specific part supply unit 120 on the mounting board 112 up to, e.g., 200.about.300. Then, the notifying means makes a first out-of-stock notification of the parts and informs the worker of this notice. When making the first out-of-stock notification of the parts, the worker brings the same kind of the part supply unit 120 holding the electronic parts as those of the part supply unit 120 from a stocker. The worker then places the unit 120 in an empty location in the housing portion 130. Thereafter, the electronic parts are continuously packaged, and when the residual quantity of the part supply unit 120 comes to, e.g., 20.about.30, the notifying means makes a second out-of-stock notification of the parts.
With the second out-of-stock notification of the parts, the packaging of the electronic parts on the PCB 100 is ended. When replacing the PCB 100, the transfer portion 140 works to place the part supply unit 120 holding the same kind of electronic parts in an empty location of the mounting board 112 from the housing portion 130. Then, after setting the new part supply unit 120 in the empty location, the packaging of the next electronic parts on the PCB 100 is started.
Further, the packaging of the electronic parts continues, and when the part supply unit 120 that has already received the out-of-stock notification of the parts comes to have no stock of the electronic parts, this is detected by a sensor (unillustrated) in the packaging device 111. Thereafter, the electronic parts are taken out of the new part supply unit 120, and the packaging of the parts continues.
Hereafter, when replacing the PCB 100 with an end of the packaging of the electronic parts on the PCB 100, the transfer portion 140 brings the empty part supply unit 120 containing no electronic part back to the housing portion 130. Simultaneously, the new part supply unit 120 is transferred to a location where the empty part supply unit 100 has been set. This apparatus is capable of preventing a decrease in availability factor due to a loss time when replacing the part supply unit because of the capability of replacing the part supply unit without stopping its working thereof.
By the way, a changeover to a different kind of PCB is conducted to package the electronic parts. When effecting this changeover to the PCB, the stage replacement requires a replacement with new part supply units by removing a large proportion of the part supply units from the mounting board 112.
The conventional apparatus, however, simply has a function to replace the part supply unit when in an out-of-stock condition. Therefore, the stage replacement has to be done by the worker. This is very time-consuming. Further, when the worker removes the part supply unit, there becomes unknown the information about a kind and a type of the electronic parts of the part supply unit or the number of remains thereof. A confirmation is also required to be made by the worker.